Gesture Based Control System Based Upon Device Orientation System and Method

• US 20170060269A1
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Frstner, Friedrich Christian, Hirsch, Eric Christian, Hviid, Nikolaj
• Granted Patent: US 10,409,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An earpiece includes an earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the earpiece housing, a gesture based interface operatively connected to the processor and configured to detect changes in an energy field associated with user gestures, and at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor for determining positioning of the ear piece. The processor is configured to interpret the changes in the energy field to determine the user gestures. The processor is configured to activate the ear piece based on the positioning of the ear piece.

Claims

1. An earpiece comprising:

an earpiece housing;

a processor disposed within the earpiece housing;

a gesture based interface operatively connected to the processor and configured to detect changes in an energy field associated with user gestures;

at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor for determining positioning of the ear piece;

wherein the processor is configured to interpret the changes in the energy field to determine the user vestures;

wherein the processor is configured to activate the ear piece based on the positioning of the ear piece.

2. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprise an inertial sensor.

4. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor comprises both an accelerometer and an inertial sensor or a gyro sensor.

5. The earpiece of claim 4 wherein the at least one sensor further comprises at least one biological sensor.

6. The earpiece of claim 5 wherein the at least one biological sensor includes a pulse oximeter and/or a temperature sensor.

7. The earpiece of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to confirm the positioning of the ear piece using data from the at least one biological sensor.

8. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the gesture based interface comprises at least one infrared (IR) light emitting diode (LED).

9. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the user gestures include a swipe gesture.

10. The earpiece of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to determine directionality of the swipe gesture.

11. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the user gestures include a tap gesture.

12. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a speaker operatively connected to the processor and wherein the processor is configured to provide audio feedback to a user through the speaker.

13. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to determine a function set associated with its positioning and interpret input through the gesture based interface based on the function set.

14. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to interpret the user gestures at least in part using a set of functions currently being performed by the earpiece.

15. The ear piece of claim 14 wherein the set of functions include listening to audio/music.

16. The ear piece of claim 15 wherein the user gestures include a user gesture associated with increasing volume.

17. The ear piece of claim 15 wherein the user gestures include a user gesture associated with decreasing volume.

18. A method comprising:

providing an earpiece, the earpiece comprising an earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the earpiece housing, a gesture based interface operatively connected to the processor and configured to detect changes in an energy field associated with user gestures, and at least one sensor operatively connected to the processor for determining positioning of the ear piece;

receiving sensor data from the at least one sensor at the processor;

receiving user input through the gesture based interface at the processor;

interpreting by the processor of the user input based at least partially on the sensor data to provide context.